Selective speed control for motor vehicles



. 8, 1953 as. SMITH SELECTIVE BFEED CONTROL FOR MO1 OR VEHICLES Filed June 14, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Garfield B. Smith ]NVENTOR.'

Dec. 8.1953 G. B. SMITH I 2,661,941

' SELECTIVE SPEED CONTROL FOR MOTOR'VEHICLES Filed June 14, 1950 s Sheets$heet 2 Garfield B. Smith INVENTOR.

Dec. 8, 1953 G. B. SMITH 2,6 1,9 1

SELECTIVE SPEED CONTROL FORYMOTOR VEHICLES Filed June 14, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet :5

Garfield B. Smith IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 8, 1 953 SELEQTIVEISPEED GONTROLEOR v MOTOR VEHICLES Garfield Bay-Smith, Hazel Park; Mich.

ApplicationeJimel l, 1950,:SerialTNo; 1637,993jv ZBGIaims;

' This invention relates to new and-"useful im'-- proyements and structural refinements in speed controlsfor motor vehicles having-internalcombustion engines, and the principal object of the inyention ifs t'o enable. the driver oiisuch vehicle to recognize the exact moment at which theve-' hiciehas, reacheda predeterminedispeed; where by; the vehicle; may be .easilyand efficiently controlledljso, as to sustain that speed}, particularly wliji1e travelling over; considerable i distances; An impprtant' features. of? the, invention; resides in the provision ofim eans. for permitting the vehitle to;betaccel ratedibey nd tneip de m n disueh si lr xamp rin an. m se y; th

bein i poss le y; simalyl en e s s: e swell erator' pedallbeyondthe limit? which is required ior snstainingihe speed'fofitlie' vehicle atthe-pre determinedrate Another; feature ,offltlie invention resides in the proyision oifmeans for adjusting the control so as o, ovary v the, raterof; speed f at'whi ch :the' invention becomes operative S gmepf the advantages of the-invention reside in'its simplicity of construction, in its efficient anddependable operation, andinits adaptability for use onyehicles d fie ypes- With the" above "more-important"objects and featureslin view and such; other objects and ,ieatures. =as;unay-becomeannarenti-asg-this specification proceeds,thewinventiomeonsists essentially imithaconstmction.andarrangement ofi na t a shewmi el he. accomnanyinsedrawi gs, iirzwhiehr Figure 1 is aifragmentary sectional view showing the invention in combination with a vehicle;

Figure 2 is a sectional -"detail, taken substan ti'allyvin the-plane of-the lineiz zi-in Figured Figure 3 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 1;.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentar sectional view illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention in combination with a vehicle;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 66 in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a further modified embodiment of the invention in combination with a vehicle; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the embodiment of Figure 7 in its operative position.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now' to the" accompanying drawings sive; the general reference'character I fl-designates' aninternal combustion engine of a' vehicle such as an automobile, theengiindlilincludinga' carburetor l2 having: a" throttle valve (not shown) operated by a' crankdfwhich; in turn; is, operatively connected by a longitudinally'shiftable ac= celerator rod l6 an'd'bysuitab'le'linkage lkto a depressible accelerator pedal? 21], as. will 'be clearly apparent; The pedal vZilisrn'ountedfon the usual floor board. 22 provided, at? the lower edge-of a fire wall 2'4" which customarily separates the 'en gine compartment from the bodyofi the vehicle:

It" will beapparent from thef'foregoing that when the pedal ZDis'd'epresSedin' the; direction of, the arrow 2'6, the rod ffi is' shifted} asiat. 28, so as-to open the throttle"valveofth'ei'carburetor I 2" and increase*the*-speed of'the' engine I 0.

The invention" resides in the provision" ofv a speed control whichisdesignated generally by the reference character- 30. and includes. in its construction a; supporting 1591"32 which sub stantially parallel to the rod "I6 andfhas a'screw' threaded end portion" secured by suitablelock nuts 34-" in a" vertical slot 3' 6""provi'ded: in an off set bracket 38? This-bracket is securedto'the fire wa1l-"2'4by one of" thetseveralf bolts orf'screws 4D with which the-firewall isusually'equippe'di.

By virtue of the slot 36 ,the"supporti'ng bar 32' maybe adjusted-verticallyso as to'vary its'spa cing-* from the-rod? l G fan'diarhelical tensiont'spring 42 has -one-endiportion?Mttliereofsecured by a suitableolamp 4'6 to-thebar :32so'thatthe spring iscoaxial witlrthebar; as shown:-

The-remainingendportibnofTthe1sprin'gf42 is arcuated soas tdprovide'aneye'or"loop'e8"whicli is slidable longitudinally on the bar 32, that is, slidable to the right from the position shown in Figure 1.

An angulated rod 50 is secured by a clamp 52 to an intermediate portion of the accelerator rod [6 and is provided with an eye 54 which movably engages a further eye 56 at one end of link 58.

The link 58 extends longitudinally in the spring 42 and terminates at its free end in an eye-shaped detent 6|! which is also slidable on the supporting bar 32 and is engageable with the eye 48 of the spring 42, as will presently be explained.

When the engine [0 is idling or when it is stopped, the detent 60 is spaced away from the eye 48 as indicated at 62 in Figure 1, but when the accelerator 20 is depressed and the accelerator rod [6 is shifted in the direction of the arrow 28 so as to increase the speed of the engine, the

distance between the detent 60 and the eye 48 will be decreased until the detent engages the eye. At that point, a predetermined rate of speed will be reached, and if it is desired to increase the rate beyond that speed, the detent 60, travelling with the rod I6, will push the eye 48 toward the bulkhead 24, thus stretching the spring 42. In this manner, the operator of the vehicle will be able to feel when a, predetermined speed has been reached, but nevertheless a higher speed may be obtained in an emergency by simply depressing the pedal 20 to a. greater extent while stretching the spring 42.

'The rate of speed at which the detent 60 comes into engagement with the eye 48 may be varied by either loosening the clamp 46 and sliding the entire spring 42 along the supporting bar 32 or, alternatively, by loosening the clamp 52 and sliding the rod 50 together with the link 58 along the rod l6.

Referring now to the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying Figure 5, the slotted bracket 38 which is attached to the fire wall 24 is provided with a screwthreaded supporting member H1 having a frustcconical head 72 seated in a complemental, frustoconical end portion of a coiled tension spring M, while the remaining, similarly configurated end portion of the spring affords a seat for an enlarged portion or eye 16 at one end of an extension rod 18 with which the spring '14 is equipped.

The free end portion of this rod 38 terminates in an eye 80 in which is slidable a link 82, the latter being secured to the accelerator rod H5 by a clamp 84, while a collar 86 is adjustably mounted on the link, as shown.

When the accelerator pedal is depressed, as at 26, the accelerator rod I6 is shifted in the direction of the arrow 88 until the space 96 existing between the eye 80 and the collar 86 is taken up when a predetermined rate of speed has been reached. Thereupon, the collar 86 will slide the rod I8 in the direction of the arrow 83, thus stretching the spring 14.

The rate of speed at which this embodiment of the invention becomes operative may be adjusted by either shifting the position of the collar 86 on the link 82 or, alternatively, by loosening the clamp 84 and shifting the position of the link 82 relative to the rod [6. V

In the further modified embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 and is similar to the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6, the components 18, 80, 82, and 86 are substituted by a flexible connecting element such as a length of cord or cable 92, one end portion of which is inserted in the free frusto-conical end portion of the spring 14 and is anchored therein by a pair of stops or collars 94 which are afilxed to the cord. The other end of the cord or cable 92 is secured by the clamp 84 to the rod i6 and a further stop or collar 96 is secured to the end of the cord to prevent the same from being withdrawn from the clamp.

The cord 92 is sufiiciently long to be substantially slack when the engine is idling or is accelerated to a certain predetermined speed. At that point, the cord becomes taut and commences to stretch the spring I4, thus ofiering resistance to further acceleration.

The distance which the rod I6 is permitted to travel before stretching the spring is indicated at 98, and may be preadjusted by simply varying the position of the clamp 84 on the rod.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and; accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary. I

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. A speed control for engines, comprising a stationary rod, a coil spring coaxial with but spaced from said rod, means securing one end of the spring to the rod, an eye provided at the other end of the spring and slidable on the rod, a link parallel to the rod and having one end portion disposed in said spring, a loop provided on said one end of said link and slidable on said rod in and out of abutment with said eye, the other end portion of said link projecting outwardly from said spring, and means at the outer end of the link for operatively connecting the same to a. speed controlling element of an engine.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a mounting bracket provided with a slot, said rod having a screw-threaded end portion extending through said slot, and a pair of lock-nuts provided on the threaded portion of the rod at the opposite sides of said bracket.

GARFIELD B. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,720,561 Maier et a1 July 9, 1929 2,077,555 Frantz Apr. 20, 1937 2,104,649 Hinton Jan. 4, 1938 2,474,232 Dach June 28, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 60,632 Denmark Feb. 22, 1943 

